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Frontiers of Literary Studies in China

ISSN 1673-7318

ISSN 1673-7423(Online)

CN 11-5745/I

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Front. Lit. Stud. China    2024, Vol. 18 Issue (3) : 249-267    https://doi.org/10.3868/s010-013-024-0012-0
Evocation (Gan-Xing) in Aesthetics and Atmospheric Beauty in Ancient Chinese Poetry
ZHANG Jing
School of Literature, Communication University of China, Beijing 100024, China
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Abstract

In recent years, “aesthetics of atmospheres,” a concept introduced from Western aesthetics, has emerged in aesthetic studies, offering a new perspective to examine ancient Chinese poetry. In poetry, atmospheric beauty is neither fixed nor rationalized; rather, it is pervasive and ubiquitous, much like a mist. Atmosphere is something spatial but primarily something emotional. Atmosphere creation is the products of a poet’s emotional expression evoked by external objects; thus, evocation (gan-xing) is a catalyst for creating atmospheres. At its core, evocation is the process by which a poet is emotionally stimulated at the sight of external objects and generates a desire to express such emotions. In this process, the poet is connected with the outside world through senses such as sight and hearing and is presented with abundant physical images. When these physical images are incorporated into poems, they become atmospheric agents. In poetry, atmospheres represent the unity of emotions and intentions. They are a poet’s situational aesthetic experiences. The statement, “If there is no self in poetry, how can we possibly have poetry” holds significant theoretical importance in aesthetics. Synesthesia plays a crucial role during the creation of atmospheric beauty in poetry. By employing synesthesia, a poet can greatly enhance the tension in poetic language, extending the poetic beauty beyond a singular sensory experience, and creating rich atmospheres that blend sensations such as sound, color, and taste.

Keywords evocation (gan-xing)      aesthetics of atmospheres      ancient Chinese poetry     
About author:

#Xiaoning Yang and Yuwei Zhao contributed equally to this work.]]>

Issue Date: 24 September 2024
 Cite this article:   
ZHANG Jing. Evocation (Gan-Xing) in Aesthetics and Atmospheric Beauty in Ancient Chinese Poetry[J]. Front. Lit. Stud. China, 2024, 18(3): 249-267.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/flsc/EN/10.3868/s010-013-024-0012-0
https://academic.hep.com.cn/flsc/EN/Y2024/V18/I3/249
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